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On December 20, 1989, the United States Armed Forces invaded Panama in Operation Just Cause. As a result of the invasion, dictator Manuel Noriega was deposed, the Panamanian Defense Force dissolved, and president-elect Guillermo Endara was sworn into office. The U.S. relationship with Noriega had started out on a more positive note, with Noriega becoming a paid informant of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1967, and siding with the U.S. over the USSR in Central American affairs. In the mid-1980s, the relationship between the U.S. and Noriega began to turn, and in 1989 Noriega declared Panama’s presidential election null and maintained power by force. In this video, President George H.W. Bush announces the invasion of Panama and explains why it is happening: “For nearly two years, the United States, the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean have have worked together to resolve the crisis in Panama. The goals of the United States have been: to safe guard the lives of Americans, to defend Democracy in Panama, to combat drug trafficking ,and to protect the integrity of the Panama Canal treaty. Many attempts have been made to resolve this crisis through diplomacy and negotiations. All were rejected by the dictator of Panama, General Manuel Noriega, an indicted drug trafficker. Last Friday, Noriega declared his military dictatorship to be at a state of war with the United States and publicly threatened the lives of Americans in Panama.”
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